Have you ever wanted to fix problems in a video similarly to how you fix problems in typical photo editing apps? Things like dust, blemishes, or other unwanted items are easy to remove in static photos, but prove to be more challenging in moving pictures.

Enter CoreMelt’s PaintX, an easy-to-use tool that allows you to quickly paint on video with nondestructive edits. Powered by the excellent mocha tracker, it makes fixing up small problems, like removing dust from an iPhone’s display, a simple affair. Watch our brief hands-on video as I demonstrate PaintX in action.

PaintX highlights

  • All strokes are editable
  • Non-destructive video paint with unlimited undo
  • Integrated mocha tracker is accessible via a single button press
  • Each stroke can have a different track applied
  • Multiple layers
  • Copy and paste track data from one stroke to another
  • Save and restore brush preset shapes and sizes
  • Powered by the award-winning mocha tracker
  • 14-day trial w/$99 purchase price

With a normal static image, fixing an issue like dust on a screen is simple, since there’s only one frame to apply the fix to. I can open an app like Affinity Photo, and apply the Repair tool to the areas on the screen that feature dust.

Fixing static images in apps like Affinity Photo is simple

Fixing a similar issue on a moving picture is a bit more challenging, because there are multiple frames. In other words, the problem areas change location as they move about the canvas, and can also get bigger or smaller as they move closer or further from the camera.

Fixing dust in Final Cut Pro X using PaintX mocha tracking

When seeking to repair moving images, therefore, you’ll need to apply the fix to every frame. As you might imagine, such a process can be extremely time-consuming and tedious.

Without PaintX enabled (dust showing on screen)

With PaintX, which is powered by the outstanding mocha tracker, the plug-in does most of the heavy-lifting. All you need to do is set a few parameters, and PaintX will handle most of the dirty work.

With PaintX enabled (dust removed)

How I fixed dust using PaintX

Step 1: Find a clip with a problem to fix.

Step 2: Drag and drop the C2 PaintX → Tracked Paint effect onto the clip.

Step 3: Open the editor and select the Healing Brush tool.

Step 4: Change Healing Brush tool parameters.

Step 5: Move the playhead to the beginning of the clip.

Step 6: Make changes in the editor using the Healing Brush.

Step 7: Click the Track Forward button to track each frame.

Step 8: Click Save Changes once tracking is completed and confirmed.

My basic demonstration above is just the tip of the iceberg as far as use-cases are concerned, but the amount of time saved from just this one exercise shows the usefulness of such a plug-in. If you regularly work with Final Cut Pro X, I think PaintX is a must-have tool to have in your repertoire.

CoreMelt offers a 14-day trial of its $99 PaintX plug-in, so you can try it for yourself in order to determine if it’s for you. What are your thoughts on PaintX, do you think it would make a nice addition to your editing toolbox? Sound off in the comments below.